Cheshire Ring mooring questions

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Planning for this year's trip, Cheshire Ring (plus Peak Forest) anticlockwise starting from Anderton, and have a few questions about moorings... (we last did this trip about 10 years ago)

Planning to moor at King's Lock VM in Middlewich (good chippy + pub) but these are right next to a road -- are they very noisy? Further down above Big Lock is quieter but this adds another 4 locks to the 30 we'll be doing the following day on the way to the Blue Bell...

Is there usually space at Whaley Bridge VM just before the basin (for The Fryery + Goyt Inn :-) or are they likely to be full? (midweek in early September)

Ditto Castlefield, there have been reports it's gone downhill (and filled up) recently but above Duke's Lock doesn't look good either from the pictures I've found.

P.S. Have searched all the forums (and followed pub/food recommendations) but am looking for up-to-date advice ?

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69'. Hadn't thought of that, moored there when we did the Four Counties...

69' is a long boat! the next full size winding hole up the branch is around bridge 19, a 2.7 mile reverse so not practical. But if you fancy showing off your reversing skills, there are good places to moor all the way up to before Stanthorne lock where the breach was.

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If you have time go down the little flight of locks in Middlewich and moor anywhere on the pound above the Big Lock, walk back up to the pub at Kings lock for a good pint.

Castlefeild is not what it used to be but is still the best mooring in central Manchester, but space is limited, sometimes there is a space on the long term mooring side, if so use that. Wharf pub is very good for beer and food but not the cheapest.

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If Whaley Bridge VM’s are full, which they probably won’t be, then use Bugsworth Basin﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿?

My experience a couple of times last year is Whaley Bridge arm being wedged full of boats, even those on the VMs looked pretty permanent as we pottered about looking for a mooringnto visit Whaley Bridge (which we never achieved). Same thing in the arm towards Bugsworth Basin, so we had no hope of mooring for a reasonable walk to Tesco either. The basin itself on the other hand was pretty easy to moor in, perhaps because there's someone there monitoring stay times?

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If you have time go down the little flight of locks in Middlewich and moor anywhere on the pound above the Big Lock, walk back up to the pub at Kings lock for a good pint.

Castlefeild is not what it used to be but is still the best mooring in central Manchester, but space is limited, sometimes there is a space on the long term mooring side, if so use that. Wharf pub is very good for beer and food but not the cheapest.

.............Dave

We'll be coming from Anderton so the choice is either moor above the Big Lock or go up the flight to save time the following day. Beer in the King's Lock was the plan, unfortunately that don't do fantastic food like they used to so maybe the chippy opposite which is highly recommended. Also Knott Bar at Castlefield, beer and food better than the Wharf.

Edited April 7 by IanD

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My experience a couple of times last year is Whaley Bridge arm being wedged full of boats, even those on the VMs looked pretty permanent as we pottered about looking for a mooringnto visit Whaley Bridge (which we never achieved). Same thing in the arm towards Bugsworth Basin, so we had no hope of mooring for a reasonable walk to Tesco either. The basin itself on the other hand was pretty easy to moor in, perhaps because there's someone there monitoring stay times?

People mooring for long periods on scarce VMs is one of the curses of the canals nowadays... ?

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We'll be coming from Anderton so the choice is either moor above the Big Lock or go up the flight to save time the following day. Beer in the King's Lock was the plan, unfortunately that don't do fantastic food like they used to so maybe the chippy opposite which is highly recommended. Also Knott Bar at Castlefield, beer and food better than the Wharf.

Will investigate as we will be in Manchester next month. We are very limited as dog can't be left alone so need dog friendly pubs which are few and far between in Manchester. Spending winter up at Hebden Bridge and Todmorden has been great as all the pubs, most shops, and a fair few cafes all take dogs.

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There is a quiet spot to moor just south of Middlewich - the canal ducks under the main road in a small cutting next to a farm. We used to moor there on our last night when hiring from Midlewich narrowboats.

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Re. Whaley Bridge if you're lucky you might be able to moor on the right at the end of the canal. It's much nicer here than the few visitor moorings which are very dark, with the odd bit of crime going on. These moorings are technically in a winding hole but it's acceptable to moor there. If you arrive on the wrong Wednesday (one in every two) and get there in the morning expect Stuart the coal man to move your boat in the afternoon.

Did Bugsworth (and the Navigation) last time, fancied a change this time... ﻿

If you moor at Bugsworth and fancy a change with good beer, walk up the lane beyond the Navigations car park for about ten minutes and you come out at the Old Hall and Papermill both sell a great range of beer and do good food, and they walk back to the Navi before dark to finish off the evening on another six real ales